TicketsApril 21, 2007
CINCINNATI, Ohio---Dan Osterbrock hurled his fourth complete game of the season and Neall French delivered a key two-run single as Cincinnati prevailed with a 6-1 win over Connecticut on Saturday afternoon at Marge Schott Stadium. The win keeps the Bearcats in the hunt for a BIG EAST Tournament berth as the squad is now 20-17 overall and 6-7 in BIG EAST play. UC will end the day tied for sixth in the standings with Notre Dame after the Irish's thrashing of West Virginia.
Osterbrock avoided serious trouble throughout the game and won his fourth straight start, improving to 7-1 in the process. The sophomore southpaw was aided by a UC defense that turned a season-high three double plays.
With the score at just 2-1 and UC having already left nine men on base, French got the big hit of the day for the Bearcats, ripping a two-run single to centerfield in the sixth to give the additional breathing room they needed.
The Cincinnati offense produced 10 hits on the afternoon including two each by Tony Campana and Adam Yeager. Campana also nabbed a pair of stolen bases, running his UC single season record total to 46.
Cincinnati got off to a fast start against Connecticut (18-19, 5-9 BIG EAST) starter Dusty Odenbach. Campana led the first off with a single and promptly stole second base. Kyle Rapp completed a successful hit and run, driving a single through the right side to score Campana with the day's first run.
The Bearcats took advantage of a pair of miscues in the third as with one out, Josh Harrison tallied his first career triple, pulling into third after centerfielder Harold Brantley misplayed the ball. Odenbach then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Harrison to score the game's second run.
UConn got the deficit in half in fourth, putting Osterbrock in his first and only serious jam of the day. With two outs, Connecticut connected on consecutive single before Dennis Donovan trotted home on a Pat Mahoney RBI double.
UC took a 4-1 lead in the sixth on French's clutch hit, scored its fifth run on a Brian Szarmach ground out and rounded out the scoring with a Campana RBI fielder's choice in the seventh.
Osterbrock's final line was another good one as he allowed just the one run on seven hits, with one walk and five strikeouts. UConn's Odenbach took the loss after allowing two runs and six hits with five walks in four-plus innings of work.
The rubber game of the series is set for tomorrow with a 1 p.m. first pitch. The pitching match-up features Cincinnati righthander John Baird taking on UConn lefty Greg Nappo.